Tool for turning cording



Aug. 23, 1955 J, FRASER 2,715,983

TOOL FOR TURNING CORDING Filed Aug. 12, 1952 zzz:

ELAINE J. FRASER,

INVENTOR.

HUEBNER, BEEHLER, WORRE L 8 HERZIG AT TORNEVS United States Patent lCe 2,715,983

TOOL F012 TURNING CORDING Elaine J. Fraser, Sun Valley, Calif.

Application August 12, 1952, Serial No. 303,971

2 Claims. (Cl. 22342) This invention relates to the dressmaking art and has particular reference to a tool especially adapted to turning or reversing stitched tubing so that the tubing may appear as a hollow tube or cord right side out.

In the sewing art a variety of expedients have been resorted to in the past in order to provide a welt seam 2 or cord seam. In some instances special attachments have been made for sewing machines adapted to bring together the necessary fabric initially right side out and to stitch the fabric in place. For some uses fabric stitched on the right side or outside is unsatisfactory, necessitating stitching the fabric inside out and thereafter turning the stitched loop right side out. Some crude tools have been employed for this purpose but such tools as have found their way into the trade have been limited to the turning of rather large loops and even in such instances have been of a type either difficult to manage by inexperienced hands or employing a means for gripping the material of the loop so fashioned that the material is likely to be torn or ripped on frequent occasions. Other defects in improvised turning instruments have resulted in devices having such an insecure hold on the material that the material of the loop once lost before the turn ng operation is completed cannot be gripped again, under which circumstances very frequently the entire stitching has to be opened and the operation begun a second time. On those instances where a tape or string has been stitched to one end of the loop for turning it inside out, this old expedient is limited as have been other expedients to loose large loops and has been found incapable of successfully turning tight small loops.

It is therefore among the objects of the invention to provide a new and improved tool for the turning of bias tubing or folded loops of stitched fabric material into tubes commonly called spaghetti in the trade, the tool being one inexpensive to fabricate and at the same time relatively simple to employ to the end that inexperienced users are able to successfully manipulate the device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved turning tool for tubing, loops or welt seams which is capable of turning tubing extremely small in diameter with a very marked degree of success.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved turning tool for stitched or sewed tubing or loops in fabric or similar material which can be readily manipulated so as to turn successfully tubing of excessive length exceeding by many times the length of the tool itself.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved turning tool for cording in which a special head is employed which is capable of readily gripping the edge of material to be turned with a suffrciently firm grip without piercing the material to render the grip secure throughout the entire turning operation and wherein the same head is moreover so fashioned that it provides a resistance for the fingers to work against in order to facilitate the starting of the turning operation which is the most critical part of the operation.

Patented Aug. 23, 1955 Still further among the objects of the invention is to provide a turning tool for cording which is especially easy to operate in the hands of inexperienced persons but which is so designed and constructed that it can accommodate all sorts and sizes of bias and other tubing both with and without an enclosed cord making the turning operation one sufficiently simple that the tool can be accommodated to practically all turning operations.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side perspective view of an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevational view of the turning head.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3.3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view showing the head end of the tool at the initiation of a turning operation, the bias tubing being shown applied over the tool.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the next progressive position of the tool and tubing.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the positions of the tool and tubing after the end of the tubing has been completely reversed and is starting to be drawn right side out through the tubing.

Figure 7 is a view of the tool and a fragmentary length of tubing wherein a cord has been stitched to the tubing to be turned inside of the loop by use of the tool.

The turning tool comprising the subject matter of the present invention is one expressly directed to manipulation by any seamstress or person working in the sewing art. In the construction of such a tool a shaft 10 is made of wire-like stock of relatively small diameter. In practice it has been found that wire of a gage as small as sixteen or perhaps fourteen gage is satisfactory. It is also preferable to have the wire of such material that when bent it will retain the bent shape rather than to construct the shaft of a harder spring-like steel, either diificult to bend or perhaps subject to fatigue fractures after being bent a number of times. In other words, a relatively ductile metal is preferable which will retain its strength without fracture even though being bent innumerable times, although a stiff shaft can also be made to work.

Although the physical length of the wire shaft is relatively immaterial, a shaft approximately twelve inches long has been found readily workable. By providing, however, a finger loop 11 at one end turned round so that the finger loop extremity 12 of the shaft is spaced from a turned portion 13 providing a space 14 of somewhat optional clearance, the twelve-inch shaft is sufiicient to accommodate loops of virtually any length.

At the end of the shaft opposite from the finger loop 11 is a head generally indicated by the reference character 15, details of which appear in Figures 2 and 3. More specifically the head 15, which may be described as a fold turning head, consists of a section 16 of the shaft 10. This section 16, as best viewed in Figure 3, has a cross-sectional shape and size substantially one-half of the cross-sectional shape and size of the shaft 10. The end section 16 is turned back on itself at the point 17 approximately midway of its length so that a part 18 overlies a part 17 throughout the entire length of the part 17 except for a very short distance 19, thereby forming a gap between a free end 20 of the section 16 and an endmost portion 21 of the shaft 10. As will be also noted the parts 17 and 18 lie substantially parallel to each other but spaced from each other, leaving a narrow slit 22.

strips are sewed together.

7 of. the opening formed'by the doubled back parts 17 and 18. I V

j Becausefof thepresence of the slit 22 and filler 23 the dimensionin one direction of the head is very' slightly greater than the diameter of the shaft 10, although the dimension remains the same in a direction transverse thereto, 'It is requisite only that the breadth of the slot 22 be sufiiciently great to accommodate all thicknesses of fabric or other material which will be turned by manipulation of the tool. It is also expedient that the'outside cornerof the 'free'end be rounded, as indicated in Figure 2, so as to present no sharp edge which might inadvertently hook the fabric and to assure that the point 26 is located well beneath the surface of the shaft 10 where it adjoins so that it will not inadvertently hook threads of the fabric while the turning operation is beingpen' formedt In making use of the turning tool it is found advantageous to prepare the loop by cutting true bias strips. S elvagesshould be trimmed from the material before the The sewing may be accomplished either by machine stitching or by hand. The success 'of the operation is facilitated considerably by pressing opposite halves of the loop which is to be sewed together before the stitching is employed. The stitching operation should leave both ends open and the stitching, whether by hand or by machine, should result in stitches After the stitching is completed, the turning tool is preferably slid'through the loop'thus formed by sliding the loop over the head and along the main portion of the shaft, If the length of the loop is not great, the entire loop may be contained upon the shaft 10 between the head 15'and the finger loop 11. Should the loop be longer than would be possible to retain on the shaft 10, a portion of the loop may he slid around the finger loop and off the free end 12 to the extent necessary, retaining however a substantial portion of the loop upon the shaft 10. a t

Afterthe loop has thus been slid over the shaft until a free edge 30 lies adjacent the head 15, the head can then be worked over the free edge so that the. free edge of the material enters the slit 22 passing through the gap 19 until the free edge bottoms against the bottom 24 7 formed by use of the filler substance 23. By stopping the free edge Of the material to be turned at a distance substantiallyshort of the rounded end 17, there remains a rather substantial portion of the head 15 available for being gripped by the fingers of the operator to facilitate sliding the opposite side of the loop around it.

On some occasions where the tubing to be turned is especially long, it may be more convenient to feed the tubing upon the shaft starting at the extremity 12 of the finger loop 11 until the edge of the open end of the tubing reaches and can be engaged with the turning head 15.

The operation of starting the free edge into the interior of the loop is best illustrated in Figure 5. This operation presumes that the material forming the loop is stitched together inside out so that after ultimately being turned right side out, the proper side of the fabric or other material will be exposed.

. The reverse folding 'or turning of the material into the slit 22 establishes a firm grip not easily dislodged without the likelihood of the end 20 piercing the material when being pulled through a long tube.

The starting. of the turning operation is very substantially improved by the step illustrated in Figure 5 which is made possible by reason of the extra solid length at the free end of the head. To use this after the initial hooking step, illustrated in Figure 4, the thumb and second finger may be used to press the stitched side of the loop against the solid portion or solid free end of the head using that solid end for pressing the fabric against it as the edge of the fabric is worked into the appropriate end of the loop. The material can be worked over the head with the left hand if preferred while the right hand grasps the finger loop pulling the shaft 10 from left to right, as viewed in Figures 4, 5 and 6,.

Figure 6 illustrates the relative position of the parts after the end of the loop has already been turned. For convenience the loop has been'given the reference character 31 and the stitching the character 32. A margin 33 outside of the stitching need not be kept small since the material of the margin may be useful as a filler for the turned loop.

From the relationship of the parts illustrated in Figure 6 it is relatively easy to'continue pulling on the shaft 10 by means of the finger loop while the left hand of the operator is used to press and feed the inside out portion of the loop over the right side out portion of the loop contained within it. Turning long lengths of loop is greatly facilitated by the fact that the slit 22 is relatively deep and has a tendency to retain the free edge 13 of the fabric or other material within it even though the operators hands may slip from time to time in the course ofturning sucha long length. By'making the grip secure the great disadvantage in losing a grip of the tool on the fabric or other material is very substantially minimized. Should the length of the loop be longer than the length of the shaft and the finger loop, the extra length of looped material may be gradually fed over the free end 12 of that portion of the shaft comprising the finger loop until all of the looped material is on the shaft, ultimately to be turned inside out at the head 15, thereby to present the right side to the exterior upon completion of the operation. The firm grip of the long slit 22 on the material makes it possible to lay the tool and material down with the turning incomplete and later resume the turning without losing hold of the material. The resulting turned loop or tubing is commonly designated in the trade as spaghetti.

On occasions where a cord 35 is to be turned into the loop 31, good practice suggests extending the stitching 32 outwardly as at 32' to widen the entrance; The cord 35 is then sewed to one side of the loop 31 by .means'of stitches 36. In this arrangement the head .15 of the tool is applied in the same fashion as heretofore described in connection with Figure 4 and the turning started as in Figure 5, and continued as illustratedin Figure 6. The combined diameters of the cord 35and shaft 10 may even be greater than the inside dimension of the loop 31 since the cord, being usually a soft material, can be expected to be displaced to some extent by the shaft when an especially tight loop 31. is to be the result having a relatively firmlypacked cord vCenter. After the loop has been completely turned, it is necessary onlytop-ush the head of the tool inwardly again into the turned loop or tubing a distance equal to that slightly greater than the depth of the slit 22, after which the shaft can be turned a portion of a rotation and readily withdrawn from the end opening of the completed right side out loop.

by any average person. By its use tight cord seams can The mere addition of solid material by.

be easily turned by use of the same tool which is effective in turning cord seams of large diameter. The form and character of the shaft and turning head is furthermore such that it can be employed for turning a cord into the loop, thereby to fill or pack the interior of the loop after it is completed. By employment of the construction shown the cross-sectional dimension of the turning head makes possible use of a turning head of very small crosssectional dimension such that it is not substantially greater than the diameter of the shaft itself. The cord turning tool is thereby greatly facilitated in turning very small tight loops. The construction simplified for the purpose of operation is also one which makes possible the production and availability of the device at a price sufficiently reasonable to be within the purchase range of practically everyone interested in the sewing art.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in what I have conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of my invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devlces.

Having described my invention herein, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A cording tool having all parts thereof in fixed relationship and comprising a relatively long thin wire shaft adapted to be passed within the stitched fold of a piece of material for turning said fold inside out, said shaft having a hand grip and having a continuous size and form from said hand grip through the end opposite therefrom, a fold turning head at an end remote fromthe hand grip comprising a section of the shaft continuous with the shaft, said head having a cross-sectional shape and size smaller than the cross-sectional shape and size of the shaft, said section having an unbroken uniform exterior and being turned back to a position overlying itself for a distance slightly less than one-half its length leaving a gap between the free end of said section and the shaft for reception of an edge of the material, the turned over outer end of said section having the form of a uniformly round continuous curve tangent at ends thereof with adjacent sides of the shaft, the overlying portions of said section being spaced one from another forming parallel walls of a continuously open narrow slit adapted to hold said material during a turning operation, said slit being partially filled with solid material throughout a distance in excess of twice the diameter at the closed end forming a substantially fiat bottom for the slit and removed from the outermost end of the head.

2. A cording tool comprising a relatively long thin wire shaft adapted to be passed within the stitched fold of a piece of material for turning said fold in side out, said shaft having a handle loop at one end and a fold turning head at the other end, said turning head comprising a section of the shaft continuous with the shaft having a cross-sectional shape and size of substantially one-half the cross-sectional shape and size of the shaft, said section being turned back to a position overlying itself for a distance slightly less than one-half its length leaving a gap between the free end of the section and the shaft for reception of an edge of the material, the overlying portions of said section being spaced one from another forming parallel walls of a narrow slit adapted to hold said material, said slit being filled with a solid substance at the closed end adhering to both parallel walls and adapted thereby to anchor parts of said head in position and forming a bottom for the slit removed from the outermost end of the head a distance in excess of substantially twice the thickness of the head.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,600,789 Bernhardt Sept. 21, 1926 2,422,269 Thompson June 17, 1947 2,426,104 Yamamoto Oct. 17, 1950 

